Trainer Jones 'slow cooks' his athletes

In a world where people demand instant access, whether it be sports scores or breaking news, Troy Jones is different.

Instead of being in a hurry to accumulate things and knowledge at a rapid pace, Jones preaches patience. The approach shows in his pupils.

After moving into the Carroll County eight years ago, Jones waited a year before purchasing TZ Sports in Eldersburg. There, he started training various athletes of every level from high school to professional.

If anyone was unfamiliar with him before, it won't take long to see that Jones is a rising player in the business. This May, the Chicago Bears selected Virginia Tech cornerback Kyle Fuller with the 14th pick of the first round - one of Jones' most accomplished athletes.

He also actively trains Sykesville native Brandon Copeland, who spent parts of last season on the Baltimore Ravens' practice squad and is currently on the Tennessee Titans active roster, and a large part of his success comes with a unique approach. He cites one thing as his biggest challenge when it comes to training the younger athletes.

"There's no patience. We have a microwavable society and I slow cook my athletes," Jones said. "I make sure they do things the right way, which takes a little bit more time. With that in mind, I might have to go back and correct the same mistakes over and over.

"At their progression of time you can see the difference in how they move compared to other athletes who have been rushed, who haven't been taught anything with a purpose who just go out and play sports."

Jones, 43, hails from Baltimore and it was at the request of some of his friends that he ventured out to Carroll. They were involved in Baltimore football and asked him to come out, citing what they felt was an opportunity to train athletes in the community.

Never planning to come to Carroll, Jones said the timing was just right and he trusted his friends' thoughts about plying his trade in a new area so he made the move. At first, he just wanted to properly train athletes regardless of their age or level of skill.

But the business has progressed because of Jones' patience and insistence on efficient workouts and in turn has attracted more high-profile clients.

"A lot of trainers work on making you a better athlete, which is great. You always want to be a batter athlete," Copeland said. "But Troy focuses on making you more explosive of an athlete. Taking what you do and tweaking it to make you better at it and more efficient while also working on the little things that will actually get you ready to make plays at your position."

Added Jones: "Brandon's been with me for a long time ... He was just one of those kids that just wanted it, he wanted to work hard and he listens. He's very intelligent and that intellect really helped develop [him] into the athlete that he is now."

Despite Fuller and Copeland being active clients, the original goal for Jones didn't center around grabbing top athletes and using them to boost the reputation of his business. His purpose was rudimentary.

Tired of seeing wasted time in training, unnecessary injuries and inefficiency, Jones wanted to give athletes more of a purpose behind their training. Again, he preaches efficiency and purpose when it comes to getting ready for competition.

With no end goal in mind, Jones just wants to keep training athletes and helping them be successful at the next level, whatever that may be for each individual athlete. When they do reach success down the line, it's a feeling of pride for Jones.

"That's why I do it more than anything else. It's not about the money - I mean everybody wants to have a career where they make a good amount of money - but at the same time, you want to have a sense of accomplishment," Jones said. "You want to have the sense that you contributed to society and I feel like me helping there young people be successful at all levels, it just fills me up with pride to watch them smile after they have success at something they worked really hard at."